Blackhawks Are Bringing Back Patrick Sharp

The Blackhawks and Sharp have agreed to a one-year deal as free agency opened late Saturday morning. A 35-year-old winger, Sharp played in Chicago from 2005-’15, helping lead the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup titles.

Sharp scored 239 goals across 10 seasons in his first tenure in Chicago. He’s coming off a trying season in which he recorded 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 48 games. He battled through concussion problems and a hip issue that ended his season in mid-March.

The Blackhawks aren’t expected to be big players in free agency due to their salary cap situation. They’re currently over the cap of $75 million by $3 million or so, and a trade of veteran forward Marcus Kruger has long been rumored.

Sharp is the second key member of previous Blackhawks championship teams to return in the past eight days. On June 23, Chicago acquired forward Brandon Saad in a blockbuster trade that sent winger Artemi Panarin to Columbus.